According to Penn State College of Medicine, a duodenal (peptic) ulcer is an area of the upper small intestine that becomes raw. They are four times more prevalent in men over 50 years than in women. Duodenal ulcers are somewhat hereditary and are also caused by the use of nonsteroidal drugs such as ibuprofen and aspirin as well as by having a helicobacter pylori infection and the use of alcohol and cigarettes, all of which can cause stomach acid to eat away an area of the stomach lining.
Minor Symptoms
Often a duodenal ulcer will have no symptoms other than a burning or gnawing abdominal pain between the breastbone and the navel. Often occurring in the early hours of the morning or between meals, the pain may last for a few minutes or for several hours. Typically this pain can be relieved by taking over-the-counter antacids or by eating. Often the onset of pain occurs after ingesting coffee, aspirin or citrus juice
Less Common Symptoms
Often when a duodenal ulcer occurs, the patient will have symptoms that they do not attribute to the ulcer, such as nausea, belching, loss of weight and loss of appetite, vomiting and feeling week and tired. There may also be a burning feeling at the back of the throat
Complications
A bleeding duodenal ulcer may be discovered by the appearance of blood in the vomit, which may be bright red if fresh or resemble coffee grounds if partially digested. Caused by the ulcer eating into the duodenal or stomach muscles, the bleeding will also appear as tarry black stool. If an ulcer becomes perforated, partially digested food and bacteria may enter the abdominal cavity, causing the severe pain of peritonitis. Likewise, if an ulcer causes swelling and scarring it may lead to narrowing and obstruction of the intestinal opening, which is characterized by vomiting because the food cannot leave the stomach.
